THE architect of the newly built British Library is to donate 600 art works collected over 50 years to the nation. Professor Sir Colin St John Wilson will hand over the gift to Pallant House Gallery in Chichester via the National Art Collections Fund (Art Fund), the UK’s leading independent art charity.

The largest gift of Modern and Contemporary art ever donated through the Art Fund, the collection includes works by many leading artists working in the UK over the last century, such as Michael Andrews, Frank Auerbach, Peter Blake, David Bomberg, Patrick Caulfield, William Coldstream, Prunella Clough, Peter de Francia, Lucian Freud, Richard Hamilton, Nigel Henderson, R.B. Kitaj, Dhruva Mistry, Eduardo Paolozzi, Colin Self, W.R. Sickert and Victor Willing.

Professor Wilson often acquired the works direct from the artist, so this is the first time that many of them will be available for public view. He chose Pallant House as the recipient for various reasons: he has been associated with loans to the gallery for many years and in association with Long & Kentish is the architect for the new wing there.